


Somewhere on the open ocean

by xxawalkinwonderlandxx



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: And she's given up on trying to save herself, But she doesn’t expect him to love her, But she's making sure to live it while she can, Clarke is cursed, Clarke loves Bellamy, F/M, I’m not sure how to tag this, Pirates AU, She tells him eventually though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21822679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxawalkinwonderlandxx/pseuds/xxawalkinwonderlandxx
Summary: One day, Clarke and Murphy went looking for Becca's cavern of gold only to be faced with Alie. As a result, Alie curses Clarke and after three years of trying to break her curse, Clarke decides to live the best life she can with the time she has left.Based off a post from Tumblr
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 105





	Somewhere on the open ocean

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this was a one-shot I started on a while back but never finished, and I decided to put an ending on this one and post it :) I may regret not telling more of this story, but if people like it then I can always do more chapters about the before years!

_“I never thought anyone would be able to get past those rocks.” A woman’s voice carries through the cavern._

_“Yeah, well, they weren’t as good as me.” Clarke holds her sword down as she looks for the owner of the voice. “Who are you?”_

_The lady steps forward into the light. Her glossy brown hair is pulled back into a sharp ponytail and crimson stains her lips. When she smiles, her teeth are razor sharp._

_“You’re a siren.” Clarke breathes out._

_“Yes. I’m Alie.” The siren steps forward and even though Murphy takes an instinctual step backwards, Clarke stays where she is. “Becca allowed me to walk on land as well as live my life in water. In return, I promised to guard her treasure; even now, long after her departure from this world.”_

_“Well, you’ve done a good job so far. You know, until today.” Murphy drawls and Clarke holds her hand up. Snark may be what Murphy does best but she doesn’t need him angering the siren now._

_Alie doesn’t move her attention from Clarke. “You have a cold heart, Clarke Elizabeth Griffin.”_

_“It’s my understanding that all pirates have a cold heart.”_

_“But yours is not like the others.” Alie tilts her head to the side. “Yours used to not be. It was hardened over the years but you still have the innate drive to take care of people.” Alie goes on. “You plunder, and you pillage, and you do it all so your people will have a better life. Not to mention that your intentions with this mission was to give the orphanage inside Tondici enough funds to give their children a more comfortable life there. Yet, the trail of destruction that you leave behind does not trouble you as much as the fact that people do not give you the same devotion that you give them.”_

_Clarke tries to figure out how the siren knew that, but there are many things that humans don’t know about those creatures. “What’s your point?”_

_“You will do anything for those you care about.”_

_“Right,” Murphy snorts, “except she doesn’t have anyone.” He picks up a coin at his feet and inspects it. “This is nice, I think I’ll keep it.”_

_Alie turns her attention towards Murphy and waves her hand in the air. Clarke braces for something to happen, but nothing does. She glances at Murphy, but he seems fine, so she turns back to Alie._

_“What—” A gurgling noise comes from beside her and she turns back to Murphy whose doubled forward._

_“Another gift that Becca Pram Heda gave me before her departure, was her gift for sorcery.” Alie smiles._

_Murphy falls to his knees, coughing up what looks like saltwater all over the rocks. Clarke falls down beside him, slamming her palm against his back. “Stop it! I know the gold is cursed, curse me instead!”_

_“I don’t know, I’m quite enjoying the show.”_

_“My crew didn’t know about the gold. I thought stories were to keep novice sailors from getting lucky.” Clarke draws her weapon and stands. “Leave my people out of it. I masterminded the attack, I kept the knowledge from my crew, if you’re going to curse anyone, curse me.”_

_Alie turns her sharp smile towards Clarke. “Would you die for your people, Clarke?”_

_Murphy makes another choking noise behind her. “Give me your best shot.”_

_“Wonderful.” Alie waves her hand again and Murphy quits spitting up the water. “You have five years. In that time, you are to give your heart to someone without expecting anything in return. If you succeed, you will be free of your curse. Should you fail, you will be sent to the deepest parts of Davy Jones’ locker. That is all.”_

_Within a blink, Clarke and Murphy go from being inside the cavern to standing on one of the rocks outside the entrance. Clarke slips and Murphy reaches out to steady her. When she brings her eyes up to meet his, she can tell that he heard what the siren had told her. A sob escapes from her body without her consent and Murphy wraps an arm around her, bringing her closer._

_“You are the stupidest pirate I have ever worked for,” Murphy murmurs, “but thank you for saving my life.”_

_Clarke lets out a wet chuckle. “Please, we both know that if you had died then I would have had a mob after me for not giving them your head. You’re not very well liked, I could sell you to the highest bidder.”_

_Murphy laughed lightly. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”_

Clarke wakes up with sweat drenching her camisole and her sheets twisted around her legs. She takes a deep breath and tries to calm down her racing heart. That day on the rocks with Murphy had been four years and eleven months ago and the closer the five year mark becomes, the more times she has the same dream. Alie has even taken to calling her name in the past five months and Clarke has a feeling she isn’t going to stop until Clarke is in her grasp.

“Fuck.” Clarke runs her hands over her face and untangles herself from her covers. For the first three years, Clarke tried finding someone who she could give her all to and expect nothing from, but she failed. Her crew changed over that time as well, since she was more focused on her curse than stealing, but Murphy always stayed by her side.

After the first three years, it was just Clarke and Murphy sailing around and picking up those who wanted to come along for the ride. They ride the open seas, drinking, finding treasure, and ultimately just having the time of their lives. And she’s loving every second of it.

“Clarke, you awake?” Monty’s voice comes from the other side of the door. “I have food.”

Clarke grins then throws open her chamber doors. “My savoir.”

“You’re sleeping in a little late, aren’t you boss?” Jasper follows in behind him and Clarke cocks an eyebrow at him. “Just looking out for your health.” Jasper grins then settles himself on the side of her desk.

“Well, I appreciate your concern, Jasper, but we all had a late night last night.”

“Here, here!” Jasper holds up his cup of rum. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“Eat, drink, the usual.” Clarke says as she digs into the food that Monty set down for her. Chicken drum, dried grapes, even a couple of eggs. She must’ve been a lot hungrier than she had thought, but no matter how much she eats, it never seems like enough. Which is what she assumes is Alie’s doing.

“Any raids?”

“Not unless there’s someone unlucky enough to come across us.” Clarke grins then shoves an egg into her mouth. “So, how was the morning inspections?”

The three of them spend the next half hour going over anything that may need to be done around the ship and planning the next time they’ll make port. It’s already been three weeks, and she still has a few more places she would like to see before her time is up. None of her crew besides Murphy know the fate that awaits her a month from now, and that’s how she wants it to stay.

After their meeting is over, Clarke ushers the two guys out so she can change. Long gone are the days of her mother trying to force her into dresses and teaching her to act like a lady. Though she can’t say that she minds. The shirts allow her to breathe and the pants allow her to move without feeling as if she’s being weighed down by stones.

The sun beams down on her when she walks out of her quarters and she tilts her face up to meet it. Her skin has tanned over the years, a far cry from the delicate porcelain skin she had spent most of her life with. She stretches then starts towards the helm.

“Blake, thank you for not crashing my ship during the night.” Clarke smirks as she settles at his side. Bellamy doesn’t look at her, but she can see the smile spread across his face.

“Now, Clarke, I thought you had more faith in me.”

“Mmm…debatable.” Clarke teases and Bellamy lets out a low chuckle.

“Have a good night’s sleep, Captain?”

“Very good. Thank you.” Clarke reaches over and lets her hands ghost over his. “You on the other hand look as if you need your beauty rest so I’ll take over from here.” Bellamy’s dark eyes drift down to hers and she can feel her heart race. “You’re no used to me dead on your feet, Bellamy, go get some sleep.”

He gives her a lazy, tired smile. “Yes, ma’am.” With a mock salute, he walks towards the deck.

“Hey, birdie!” Clarke calls up to crow’s nest with a raven in it.

“Hey, boss.” Raven looks down at her. “There’s a ship off in the distance, what’s our course of action?”

“Sails?”

“Black as the night.”

Clarke grins. “Then let’s say hi.”

There’s a thrum of excitement as the crew waits for one ship to close in on the other. Clarke can’t deny the buzz of electricity that’s made its way into her veins. Bellamy comes from his hammock with his black hair a messy halo around his head. Octavia, his little sister, comes up beside him, unsheathing her sword from her back.

“What’s the plan, Clarke?” Octavia twirls her sword around, a grin spreading across her face.

“Hold everything!” Clarke shouts to her crew and Bellamy turns to look at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re not attacking this ship. Take the wheel.” As soon as Bellamy’s hands have a firm grasp on the wheel, Clarke lets go and makes her way to the side of the deck. “That’s the Floukru symbol.”

“Wanheda!” A wild-haired girl calls from the deck of the other ship. “I thought those were your flags.”

“Luna kom Floukru, are you a sight for sore eyes.” Clarke grins as the other girl swings over to her deck. “I told you we’d meet again.”

“And this time under much better circumstances.” Luna smiles as she pulls Clarke in for a hug.

“Way better.” Clarke holds the girl at arms-length. “You look radiant as ever.”

“And you are glowing.” Luna looks around her ship. “Where are you heading?”

“Slowly making our way to Tondici. You?”

“Just left the north, had some dealings with the Azgeda tribe.”

“Azgeda? What could you possibly have to do with them?”

“They wanted to make an arrangement for us to bring them some fish from the isles every other month.”

“So I take it you told them to get their own fish?”

“I did. But Roan has taken over for his mother so he promised to make it worth our while.”

“I heard about him taking over. How is Azgeda doing now?”

“Much better. And much more agreeable.” Luna grins. “We weren’t set to dock for another two weeks, but why don’t we both go to Tondici? I can get you a drink and we’ll catch up.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Wonderful. I’ll follow you.”

“Great.” Clarke and Luna smile at each other then Luna’s crew places a plank for her to cross back to her ship.

Clarke’s smile never leaves her face as she makes her way back to the helm. Bellamy gives over control of the wheel immediately. “Where to?”

“Tondici. We’re docking earlier than planned.”

“So we’re going to have another night on land?” Octavia asks.

“Yes, we’re going to party with Luna and her people.” Clarke cuts her eyes towards Octavia, smiling. “Though if you have any other prior engagements then do not let this keep you from them.” Octavia blushes but the smile that makes its way onto her face is one Clarke has come to recognize.

“Thank you.” Octavia throws her arms around Clarke’s neck and places a kiss on her cheek before turning and starting towards the crow’s nest.

“What prior engagements?” Bellamy’s eyes are narrowed as he looks between Clarke and Octavia.

“Oh, Blake, nothing to worry your pretty head about.”

“Clarke—”

“Bellamy.” Clarke turns and looks up at Bellamy. “Your sister is an adult, and as such she is capable of making her own decisions.”

“But she is _still_ my little sister.”

“And you have raised her well enough to where she can cut down any man who dares look at her the wrong way as well as make the best clothes I have ever seen. I know you worry, but if you worry anymore you’re going to have a permanent scowl.” Clarke reaches up and runs her index finger over the crease between his brows. “Relax.”

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“You worry more than I do.”

“Of course, I’m the captain. I have a lot to—” Clarke’s vision goes white and she grips the wheel harder. She blinks her eyes a few times and can feel herself begin to waver on her feet.

“Clarke?” She’s aware of Bellamy’s hand on her shoulder but she can’t focus on anything. “ _Clarke?_ Murphy! Miller!”

One second Clarke is staring at the vast blue of the ocean and the next she is staring at the light blue of the sky. She can hear Bellamy barking out orders at everyone then the sun disappears and she’s back in her chambers, being laid down on her bed. Her vision has returned and she can make out Bellamy’s golden, freckled face hovering above her. The crease between his eyebrows is the deepest she’s ever seen it and it strikes her that it’s because of her.

“Clarke, can you hear me?”

“Unh…” Clarke scrunches her eyes closed. “I’m fine.”

“You fell at the wheel, Clarke, I would not think you’re fine.”

“I’m _fine_ , Bellamy.” Clarke sits up and wavers, causing Bellamy to reach out and hold onto her shoulders. “We should be arriving in Tondici within the hour, could you go make sure that Jasper does not drink all of the rum?” Bellamy doesn’t remove his hands from her shoulders and Clarke can see him hesitate. “Please?”

Bellamy’s jaw ticks. “Yes, captain.” Bellamy turns on his heel and walks towards the door of her room, leaving Clarke and Murphy looking after him.

“Clarke.” Murphy’s voice is low and Clarke turns to look at him.

“Not now, Murphy.” She closes her eyes and settles back into her pillows. “Please, for the love of all things gold, leave me alone.”

“Clarke, we have to tell them at some point.”

“As the captain, I do not _have_ to do anything.” Clarke snaps. “You will do well to remember that.”

“Don’t pull your rank on me, Clarke.” Murphy stands straighter. “I have been with you since the beginning. You were the one with me in that prison cell, you were the one that helped me escape. I’ve been with you for too much, _through_ too much, for you to act as if that doesn’t mean anything. Wells—”

“Of course it means something to me, Murphy!” Clarke turns a murderous glare towards her oldest friend. “You have saved my life more times than I care to admit, and if Wells were here he would agree that it is my decision to not say anything about my last month.”

“And what will they do when they no longer have a captain? Fight it out? Let the guards take them?”

“They will have a captain, Murphy. You know as well as anyone that if any of them choose to leave and not re-board the ship by the time we leave tomorrow morning then that is their decision. They do not have an obligation to me. They all boarded this ship with me promising everything they could ever want. That’s the _only_ reason why they boarded.”

“They owe you their freedom, their _lives_.”

“I told them that they would not have any ties to me and I fully intend to keep that promise until the end.”

Murphy nods his head solemnly, his eyes cast down to the floor. “Have you had the dream recently?”

“Last night.”

“And the hunger?”

“The same.”

“Her voice?”

“Silent.” Clarke closes her eyes. “For now.”

“This will only get worse.”

“I know.” Clarke takes a deep breath then swings her legs out of her bed. “When the time comes,” Clarke says as she stands, grabbing her sword from beside her bed, “I will name Bellamy captain. Of course, as my oldest friend I would have picked you but we both know you’re better at stealing than you are at captaining your own ship.” Clarke gives him a small smile and she can see him smirk.

“Well, you’re not wrong there.” Murphy leans over to look at the maps he’s sitting next to. “Where are we going after Tondici?”

“Wherever the hell we want.” Clarke grins. “Hand me my hat.” Murphy tosses her the hat and she pulls it firmly over her golden locks. “Should anyone ask, the sun became too much for me and I was not fully recovered from the previous night. Is that understood?”

“Yeah, yeah. Another day another lie.” Murphy stands and walks towards the door. “You do realize that Bellamy will see right through it, right?”

“I do not care what he believes or does not believe. If he wishes to challenge me, I’ll personally throw him overboard.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What?”

“I think you’d like to throw him under you.” Murphy gives her a wolfish grin and she smacks him over the head.

“I’ll cut out your tongue the next time you say something like that.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Murphy opens the door and walks through it with Clarke following behind him.

Bellamy does not say anything when she reclaims the wheel and she does not offer an explanation. Clarke knows that Bellamy would see through anything she says, which is something she’s come to both love and hate over the past year, so she figures it would be best if she just does not say anything at all. For the rest of the voyage, he does not leave her side and they do not talk.

“I can’t believe he’s here.” Bellamy grumbles as he sits down beside Clarke with a bottle of rum.

“Lincoln is _harmless_ , Bellamy. If she were to choose anyone to spend her time with, you should be happy it’s him.”

“No.”

“Bellamy—”

“Clarke,” he groans and let’s his head fall on the table. “Put me out of my misery.”

“Oh, come on, you’re in a tavern surrounded by so many women I’m sure one of them would be happy to take your mind off what’s troubling you.”

“I don’t want to.” Bellamy grumbles then takes a swig out of the bottle. “Would you like to dance?”

“You know I can’t dance, Bellamy, but I’m sure she would be more than willing to.” Clarke points towards another blonde who has been eyeing him since they walked in. “Her name is Bree.”

Bellamy’s eyes glide towards the girl and she gives him a pretty smile. “I’m not in the mood for strange company.” He turns back to Clarke. “Dance with me.”

“Are you asking me or demanding me?” Clarke cocks an eyebrow at him and he smiles.

“I’d never demand anything of you, Clarke.” Bellamy stands and holds his hand out. “Would you dance with me?”

Despite Clarke’s better judgement, and most likely fueled by the spirits, Clarke sets her hand in Bellamy’s and allows him to pull her up and into a swing. The two of them have danced a couple of times over the past year, but every time Clarke has stepped on Bellamy’s feet and vowed to never dance again.

With all of her people laughing around her, and Raven having found her way back to the man Clarke is sure she has feelings for, she knows they’ll be fine whenever she’s gone. Leaving her ship in Bellamy’s hands and knowing Murphy would go down with it should she ask, she feels better with the end of the curse looming over her head.

“Where’s your mind?” Bellamy’s breath is hot against her ear and she flicks her eyes towards him.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not here.” Bellamy spins her around. “So where are you in that devious head of yours, Clarke?”

“I was thinking about the best way to travel to the other places I would like to stop over the next three weeks.”

“And where are we going?”

“Shallow valley, for starters, then to Mount Weather, and coming to a stop in Arkadia.”

“Arkadia?” Bellamy raises his eyebrows. “Any particular reason why?”

“I have not seen my home in years, I thought we would make a stop. Though, I do not think we’ll be staying long.”

“Wherever you go, I go, my captain.” Bellamy smiles down at her and she’s sure her heart will beat out of her chest should he keep looking at her.

“Have you ever thought of becoming a captain?” Clarke tilts her head to the side and smiles.

“When I was younger, perhaps.”

“But not now?”

“Why would I wish to become a captain when I serve under one so terrifying?” Bellamy grins.

“Scoundrel.” Clarke shoves him lightly and his hand on her waist tightens.

“No,” Bellamy leans in, a grin spreading across his face, “pirate.”

Clarke throws her head back and laughs as Bellamy moves her around. Luna raises her mug at them and Murphy wiggles his eyebrows, which she ignores. For the rest of the night, she doesn’t think about the curse, or Arkadia, or how her crew might react to when they find out she’s gone. She drinks, she sings, and she lets Bellamy pull her up for more dances than she could have ever thought herself capable of doing. She lets herself be free, which is what she promises her people every time they board her ship.

Boarding her ship that night, she has to be carried on by Bellamy. Luna made good on her promise about getting her a drink, which turned into many drinks, and catching up. Which was something Clarke would be feeling the next morning. Bellamy lays her down on her bed and takes off her boots, which leads to Clarke immediately peeling her leather pants off and throwing her white shirt onto the floor. She can hear Bellamy’s deep chuckle and the press of his lips to her forehead before he turns towards the door. Her hand shoots out, grabbing ahold of his sleeve.

“Will you stay with me?” Her voice is rough from how tired she is and she can see the doubt flicker across his face. “Not to do anything, but it’s been a while since I’ve shared a bed with someone.” She tilts her face up to look at him better. “And I know it’s been a while for you, too.”

Bellamy’s eyes don’t leave hers as he toes of his boots and pulls his shirt over his head. She’s seen him shirtless over the last year, she’s even patched him up a lot, but seeing his tanned, golden skin whenever he takes his shirt off is something that’ll always make her mind wander. She gives him a small smile then slides over in her bed and pats the spot beside her. He climbs in and, almost as if it’s an instinct, he holds an arm out for her and she moves in closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and placing her hand on his chest.

Even though nothing happens that night besides the two of them actually sleeping, Clarke is happy that she got to experience what it’s like to just be held by him in the darkness of her room. In her last few weeks, this is something she’ll hold onto until her last breath. She quit believing that people would have to love you back if you loved them, but she could handle her feelings for a few more weeks.

As time goes on, the symptoms become worse. As the days counted down, Clarke lost track of how much she’s tried eating, and she has the same dream every night. Even her fainting on the deck has become a common occurrence enough for people to begin to worry about her. But no one says anything.

Monty and Jasper bring her food every morning while she’s still in bed, then Octavia comes in and helps her dress for the day since all of her clothes have begun engulfing her. No matter how much she eats, she can never seem to keep her weight up. The curves she grew to love have given away to her bones jutting out, and the glow that Luna had complimented her on has turned dull.

Murphy keeps a closer eye on her while she walks about the ship and Bellamy seems incapable of leaving her side for more than a quick nap whenever she does not order him to do something. There’s only a week left and the call of Alie is more prominent than ever, but she refuses to let it get her down. Arkadia looms before them in all its splendor, and she braces herself for what’s to come.

“As I’ve said, the stop here will be short. Be careful to not get caught by the guards and we will meet back on this ship within an hour, got it?” Clarke looks down at all of her people and there’s a chorus of understanding. “Good.” She pulls her hood up and over her head and motions for Murphy to follow her.

Murphy says nothing as they make their way through the winding streets, but she had told him where they were going. Her mother’s clinic rises before her and she can feel her entire body tense up at the sight. It’s been nearly a decade since she stepped foot in this place, and the day she left flashes in her mind. There had been yelling, and accusations, and the promise that if she labeled herself a pirate then she would never be welcomed back in her house again.

She looks in the window and the sight of her mother causes a lump to form in her throat. Her once youthful face has been marked with lines and Clarke can see her hair beginning to gray. Clarke grips the letter she stamped with her Griffin seal and takes a deep breath. Just as she goes to slip the envelope under the door, she hears her mother laugh.

Clarke moves back to the window and peers in again. There’s a dark haired man leaning in and telling her mother something, and when he pulls back Clarke realizes that it’s Marcus Kane. He had been a friend of her father’s and the blacksmith for the town. As the scene plays out before her, she notices a little girl walk from a place on the other side of the room. Her hair is blonde and braided down her back and when she gets Kane’s attention he smiles and picks her up, setting her down on the counter.

Clarke expects to feel something, but she doesn’t. She knows her mother probably wrote her off as dead the day she left, so this doesn’t surprise her. Clarke grips the letter in her hand tightly, and she can feel Murphy’s presence beside her, but she doesn’t say anything as she turns on her heel and begins her walk back to the ship. She’ll make good on the hour that she told her people they had, but she’s itching to get back on the open water.

“Clarke, you good?”

“I’m fine, Murphy.” Clarke says simply. “My mother wrote me off as dead the day I told her I was leaving; I’m happy she moved on.”

“But—”

“I’m _fine_. Honestly, I do not feel any pain or anger or sadness at what we saw. I’m going back to the boat, feel free to spend the rest of the hour doing whatever you please. Just don’t get caught by the guards.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Murphy gives her a half smile and she nods her head, heading back to the ship.

By this time tomorrow she will be dead, so why should she break her mother’s heart all over again? Clarke climbs onto her ship and makes her way into her chambers. She toes off her boots and decides to drink straight from the bottle of rum she has sitting on her desk. She may not be able to quell her hunger, or get Alie’s voice out of her head, but she can damn well make herself comfortable for the time being.

When her crew return, she’s already a sheet to the wind and she stumbles out of her cabin, calling Miller over and telling him to get Bellamy at the wheel and to make sure everyone does their jobs. She knows she’s slacking off in her last hours, but she doesn’t care. Her people will be without her soon so they might as well get used to someone else giving them orders.

Many of them knock on her door to ask her questions, and she calls them in while she goes over her maps. Monty asks her what should be cooked for dinner, Raven asks her what they’re course is, Octavia shows her the new material she bought to possibly update everyone’s wardrobe, Miller updates her on everyone’s work, and Jasper comes in to have a drinking partner.

When night falls, Clarke emerges to spend time with her people, and it seems as if everyone is happy that she’s up and moving around. They sing, Raven pulls her into a dance, and Clarke forgets the fate that awaits her when the sun rises. She doesn’t notice how much Bellamy looks at her, or how Murphy sticks closer to her throughout the night. She lets herself be free.

The next day, she can’t get out of bed. She tells Monty and Jasper that it’s because of the nonstop partying, and Jasper agrees while holding a pail in case he throws up. So, Clarke eats breakfast in bed and for most of the day, she stays in her room. There’s certain people in certain places that she has accords with, and she needs to make sure that Bellamy lets them know of the change of command. There are also maps with pre-plotted courses with their next stops, so she labels them and puts them in order. Then, when everything is all said and done, Clarke gathers all of the strength she can and grabs her hat, making her way onto the deck.

With Arkadia long behind them, Clarke can feel herself breathe a little easier with the open ocean around her.

“ _I can see you, Clarke._ ” A voice comes from beside her ear and Clarke turns towards it, but there’s no one there. “ _Can you feel the call of the water, young pirate? Can you hear it calling your name?_ ” A shiver runs down Clarke’s spine. “ _Look into the water and see what awaits you_.”

She knows its Alie, but the pull towards the water is too much for Clarke to fight in her current state. She doesn’t look at anyone as she walks towards the edge of the ship and looks over the side. The water is a rich blue, and it reminds Clarke of her father saying that she had ocean blue eyes. She was the ocean, and he had been the sky.

“Clarke! You’re up!” Raven calls, but Clarke ignores her.

“ _Can you feel the pull to me?”_

“Clarke?” Raven’s hand comes to rest on Clarke’s shoulder and Clarke jumps. “Whoa, you okay, Captain?”

“I’m fine, Raven.” Clarke gives her a tight smile. “Where are we?”

She tries to hold out for as long as she can, talking to her people and dodging any questions about what awaits them in the new day, but when she’s in the middle of explaining why Jasper’s right side hurt, a sharp ringing sound splits through her head.

“Clarke?” Jasper’s voice sounds garbled. “Bellamy! Murphy!”

Her lungs feel full, and Clarke doubles over, spitting up saltwater. “No! It’s too early.” Murphy kneels beside her but it’s Bellamy who picks her up and walks her towards her cabin.

Clarke doesn’t say anything, but in her head she’s trying to tell Alie that she still has a few hours until her time is up. The siren’s voice is silent.

“Murphy, what did you mean it’s too early?” Bellamy’s voice is hard, but Clarke can’t open her eyes to look at them.

A cold rag comes to rest on her forehead, and Octavia murmuring something in her ear. “ _You can come to me now, Clarke. Spare yourself the pain and grief of waiting until the last minute.”_ Clarke grits her teeth and pushes the siren’s voice out of her head. She’s not sure how long she can keep fighting, but she’s going to try her damnedest.

“Is everyone in here?” Clarke’s voice sounds weak, even she can see that, but it still commands the same authority as a captain.

“Jasper is at the wheel.” Monty says and Clarke looks at him.

“Get him in here.”

“But the ship—”

“Will be fine for the ten minutes I have to talk, Murphy.” Clarke looks at him and he closes his mouth.

When everyone is huddled in her room, Clarke tries to sit up but Octavia has to help her. With the amount of weight she’s lost, it’s not hard. Bellamy is standing in front of everyone with his arms crossed over his chest, and the sight pulls a smile onto Clarke’s face. It reminds her of the day they met.

“I don’t have long, so I’ll make this brief,” Clarke takes a deep breath, and she can feel her lungs becoming heavier again. “I couldn’t imagine having a better crew to spend my last year with.” She looks at all of her people. “I want all of you to get the best of what life has to offer. Freedom, love, gold, rum,” Jasper chuckles, “and I hope all of you can find peace.”

“Clarke,” Bellamy’s voice is rough as he says her name, and he kneels beside the bed. Before he can say anything else, Clarke reaches out and brushes a couple of curls away from his forehead.

“I hope you can find someone worthy of the love I know you’re capable of giving, Bellamy.” He takes her hand from his hair and kisses her knuckles, holding her hand in his. “I love you, Bellamy.” Clarke can see tears form in his eyes, but she can’t bring herself to keep looking at him, so she turns to everyone. “And that goes for all of you. I want you all to find people worthy of the love you have for one another. And I hope you don’t settle for anything less.”

“And you don’t think that’s you?” It’s Miller who speaks, and Clarke looks at him. “You gave me a home when I had nowhere to go, Clarke.”

“And you took us in when we had no one left.” Jasper chimes in and Monty nods his head.

“You looked at me and didn’t see someone who was broken, you saw someone who still had a drive to keep going.” Raven’s eyes shine.

“You took me and Octavia in when we lost everything, Clarke. You’ve fed us, clothed us, you’ve taken care of _everyone_.”

“You took care of everyone without expecting anything else in return,” Murphy mumbles and Clarke turns to look at him, blinking through the tears. “You said it yourself, you didn’t ask anything of anyone, and you’ve taken care of all of us without expecting anything in return, Clarke.”

“It’s not that simple, Murphy.” Clarke’s hand tightens on Bellamy’s and she coughs up more saltwater.

“ _It’s only a matter of time, Clarke_.” She screws her eyes shut at the voice, willing it to go away.

“Did anyone else hear that?” Miller asks and Clarke looks at him. “Am I the only one who heard that voice?”

“No, I heard it, too,” Octavia chimes in.

“Us, too.”

“Clarke, what is that?” Bellamy stands, but he keeps her hand firmly grasped in his.

Clarke looks at Murphy and shakes her head slightly. “ _Come on, pirate. You always said that the sea was in your veins, why not make that reality?_ ”

“Clarke, what the fuck is going on?” Raven’s eyes are wide.

“What do you mean, it’s not that simple, Clarke?” Murphy thunders, ignoring everyone else’s rising panic. “She said that you needed to give your heart to someone without expecting anything in return and you did that! You gave it to all of us!”

“He’s right.” Bellamy’s voice is low and his grip tightens on her hand. “You’ve given us everything.”

Clarke blinks up at him then looks around the room. She has. After all of the time she spent trying to find someone, she stopped to focus on living the best life that she could and bringing others with her. She didn’t stop to think for one minute that it would lead to this. “I did, didn’t I?” The pressure in Clarke’s chest lifts, and she tries to draw in a deep breath. “But, Alie—”

In the air, a ripple appears, like water. Jasper jumps when he notices it beside him, and everything pulls out their swords. There’s nothing in it, and Bellamy moves to help Clarke sit up. Suddenly, an image starts to appear and Clarke sees the face that’s haunted her dreams for the past five years.

“ _Alie_.” Clarke moves to stand, waving away everyone’s attempts to help her. Despite her shrunken size, Clarke draws her shoulders back and tilts her chin up. It’s almost like she’s back in the cavern, still young and ready to take on the world.

“Clarke Elizabeth Griffin.” The woman smiles her razor-sharp smile. “You gave your heart without expecting anything in return. Yet you did not realize it.”

“When a person quits expecting things from others, they find themselves free.”

“And do you find yourself free, Clarke?” Alie steps forward, and everyone takes an instinctive step back, but Clarke stays where she is. “Do the weights of your past no longer haunt your dreams?”

“My conscious has been cleared for years, siren.” Clarke tilts her head to the side. “Can you say the same of yours?”

“My conscious has never been in question.” Alie waves her hand in front of Clarke, and a red light flashes before her eyes. “Congratulations, Clarke. You’ve passed the test. The first one ever, in fact.”

The weight that’s on Clarke’s shoulders lifts, and she finds it easier to keep her stance, and the murmuring around her causes her to look down. The hunger she’s been feeling for months disappears as she feels her body return to how it was before. Clarke reaches up and touches her face, loving that she can no longer feel the hallow in her cheeks.

“May we never meet again, Alie.”

“Never say never, little pirate.” Alie flashes her sharp teeth and the ripple in the air disappears with her.

Clarke finally acknowledges the tears slipping down her face, and reaches up to wipe them away. A soft laugh escapes her lips and she turns to look at her people. They’re all looking at each other trying to figure out what just happened, but Clarke allows herself a moment to process what just happened.

“How are you feeling, captain?” It’s Murphy who speaks, and Clarke turns to face him.

“The best I’ve felt in a long time.”

“You’re really okay?” Bellamy steps forward and Clarke’s heartrate picks up. His hand comes up and cups the side of her face and she nods as she leans into it. “Because you can’t tell me that you love me when you’re on your deathbed, Clarke.”

“And why is that?”

“Because then I couldn’t do this.” Bellamy brings his other hand up to cup her face and presses his lips to hers.

She’s thought about what it would be like to kiss him in the past year, but she never let herself believe she would actually get to do it. She didn’t expect him to feel the same way. But now, Clarke is free of the curse that’s haunted her for years, and the man she loves is standing in front of her making her as if maybe she can allow herself to love and be loved back. When they pull apart, there’s whoops and cheers from their friends in the small room.

“I love you, too, Clarke.” Bellamy’s thumb runs over her cheekbone and she loves the smile that spreads across his face. “But care to tell us what the hell just happened?”

Clarke laughs and wraps her arms around Bellamy’s neck, and he picks her up and spins her around. When he sets her down, everyone else moves to give her a hug, too, with the last person being Murphy.

“You’re still the stupidest pirate I’ve ever worked under, but damn am I glad you’re okay.”

“Me, too.”

“So what really did happen, Clarke?” Octavia’s eyes are wide and Clarke turns back to her friends.

“Jasper, give me my hat.” He hands it over, and Clarke picks up her sword from beside her bed. “I think I have a story to tell all of you.”

“You think?” Murphy raises an eyebrow and Clarke shoves him.

“I think you have a ship to attend to, captain.” Bellamy motions towards the door and Clarke grins.

“I think I do, too.”

Clarke tells her people the story of hunting down Becca’s forgotten treasure and encountering Alie. She recounts Murphy coughing up saltwater and how she traded her life for his, but no one seems surprised when she says it. In the end, everyone tells her how brave she is, but she waves them off. She would do the same thing for any one of them if it came down to it.

“Where are we going now, captain?” Bellamy stands behind her with his hands resting on her hips, and Clarke has a feeling she could get used to this.

“Wherever we want.”

“And what are we going to do?”

“Eat, drink, raid,” Clarke smiles.

“Whatever the hell we want?”

“Yeah, whatever the hell we want.”

The sun is setting on the horizon, and Clarke breathes in the salty air. This is the life she’s always dreamed of having. Surrounded by a group of friends and feeling the freedom of the open ocean. Jake Griffin knew that Clarke would’ve suffocated if she stayed in Arkadia trying to adhere to her mother’s expectations, and the day he died Clarke vowed to live the life he wanted her to. Of course, he probably never expected she would take the route of a pirate, but it’s the best decision she’s ever made.

With the ocean spanning out all around her, Clarke tilts her head up to the sky and laughs. She’ll never feel more alive than she does when she’s on the open water. And it’s now, with the stars beginning to peak out from behind the clouds and Bellamy side her that Clarke knows she chose the best life she could possibly ask for. It's not for some people, but for Clarke Griffin, it’s always going to be a pirate’s life.

Post:

**Author's Note:**

> I really like pirate AU's but I don't know if I did this one justice. However, I still think it's cute :)
> 
> I hope you liked it!  
> Xx
> 
> You can find me on...  
> Tumblr: xxawalkinwonderlandxx  
> Twitter: awalknwonderlnd


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